KEVIN MIRALLAS has set himself a top ten goals target for his first season in English football.
Everton’s Belgian forward has made an instant impact in the Premier League since his £5m switch from Olympiakos in the summer, with a string of thrilling displays quickly confirming him as a crowd favourite.
But while the 25-year-old has been notable for the number and quality of his assists so far for the Blues, Mirallas wants to add to his goals tally.
After two goals on his full debut against Leyton Orient in the Capital One Cup he has scored just once in the Premier League at Swansea.
But after top-scoring for champions Olympiakos in the Greek Super League last season with 20 goals, Mirallas believes there is more to come from him at Everton.
“I think at the moment I have more assists than I have goals,” he said.
“I’ve provided one or two decent passes for my colleagues to score, but at the same time I’m hoping to continue to improve in front of goal and I think 10 goals is a reasonable target for my first season.
“If I can manage 10 goals that would be decent.”
Another penetrating run and cross for international team-mate Marouane Fellaini at Craven Cottage last Saturday, added to a dazzling run and pass for Nikica Jelavic against Southampton and a foul on him for a penalty at Wigan means that Mirallas has been involved in the creation of six goals already this season – even better than prime goal creator Steven Pienaar’s record.
He admits that it’s a part of the game which comes naturally to him.
“It’s a part of the game I’m not bad at and my delivery is quite good,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s easier to supply the pass for a goal than to add that finishing touch, especially when you have lads in the middle of the quality of Nikica Jelavic and Marouane,” he added. “It encourages you to put crosses in when you have players like that in the middle.”
Mirallas’ club captain Phil Neville, meanwhile, has urged his team-mates to be more ruthless in front of goal to start turning the chances that are being created by Kevin and co. into victories.
"Saturday at Fulham was probably the best we've played all season, maybe the best we've played since January," he explained. "We went to Fulham and totally dominated the game, we had all the possession, we had all the quality and they had nothing, probably two shots on goal, and scored two goals.
"I think we created maybe six or seven chances where maybe if we'd been a bit more clinical we'd have come out probably 7-2 winners. That's how if felt playing. We just need to be a little bit more ruthless, not totally dependant on Nikica Jelavic scoring all the time and chip in with goals from centre midfield, wide areas and at the back. It's up to us all to do it.
"Drawing is our Achilles heel at the moment and we need to win these games," he added. "But we've got to take confidence from the performance – it was outstanding.”
